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Captain Goldfein's > 6 year ACIP tier paid $650 per month in 1990 while he was flying Vipers at Shaw. That's exactly the same as it pays for Captain Bagadonuts today in 2017. Until now-General Goldfein can secure an ACIP of at least $1,216 for that same tier today, the Air Force and Congress are kidding themselves when they say they're trying hard to retain mission-critical aviators. Welcome to America, dollars are a sign of what we value, and we're valued a lot less as an aviator than our predecessors were in 1990. 27 years of purchasing power lost due to inflation is a real bitch when you actually stop and think about it. Increasing the bonus $10K per year? ACIP staying the same unless I missed the memo on that one? Good luck with that gentlemen.

So it's mostly about the money and kinda about the cbts? I say this tongue in cheek. I find in my later years that QOL has a huge dollar value for me, but i believe a lot of the frustration here and in the rated community in general is an assumption that we are underpaid for our service. I generally agree that assumption is correct in the market place right now (hooray capitalism). Where I disagree is that the military is obligated to pay us more. Also, i try to keep in perspective that i make more than most of my classmates from college. The idea of windfall profit sharing sounds awesome. Working 12 days a month sounds orgasmic. Getting furloughed and having to withdraw from my savings sounds as bad as an oral transmission of the rash around BQZip's mom's hoo-ha. Try not to shit on those who stick around for the stability of a paycheck- they may or may not be the lucky ones should the economy go to shit. After all, they still get to act out their childhood fantasies every time they go JFS start 2, and still have enough in the bank to binge order from amazon. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Here's a spreadsheet, you only work 12 days a month at an airline, beat that.

Beat that? You don't have to work any days per month when you're furloughed. (I was furloughed twice).

I honestly think some of this has to do with the age of the people making these decisions. It is very difficult for people to place inflation into real context. I've had the following conversation with my dad: "Sierra Nevada is $14 a 12 pack?! That's so expensive!" "uh dad. Do the math on what beer cost 20 years ago" thinks...... "you're right. Bargain "

It's not just about the money. Money is in line with the rest of the issues plaguing this job. Money is just the easiest, most tangible, identifiable symptom of a broader malaise. My thesis is this: if there was a way to graph other QoL (home and work) indicators, they would roughly correlate. We are paid substantially less than we were roughly twenty years ago, in two specific categories: 1) Flight pay 2) ACP Both of those pays have remained stagnant to inflation for over two decades. $1k / $35k doesn't nearly cover the spread. If those two pays were at least adjusted for inflation, the remaining issues would at least change in perspective. But until that happens, we are essentially negotiating low cost items. Pushing sleeves up? Ancillary duties? Fewer/clickable CBTs? These are just low/no cost gimmes.

Don't neglect the medical. It's not free anymore, but it's incredibly cheap compared to most employer or individual plans.

This sort of thing happens in the U-2 quite often. Lots of folks want to join the "13 nautical mile high club".

Currently a stud. I highly doubt that matters at all, but even if it did there is nothing you could do to control it. What you can do is crush UPT, study hard, decompress (party) on the weekends and have a great attitude. The chips (timing, luck, needs of the AF) will fall wherever they may, but control what you can. Oh, and trim.

If you don't USE trim or you don't FIND trim, the end result is the same...heh.

Few years back, was awaiting knee surgery, couldnt run. Took the bike test. Did exactly as I was told. Never broke a sweat. Failed. Great test.

Just saw the 105th AW out of Stewart (C-17s) is currently accepting applications until July 14th. http://dmna.ny.gov/jobs/?id=air

What's the definition of insanity again? Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

I get it, I was furloughed in the ANG a couple of years ago! Times (airlines) are good now, how long it will last, who knows. Your corner of the AF was much like the ANG, it was great, but the walls were burning down around you. Big AF should structure a massive program for return to the AF if the economy goes to crap, because it might. If it doesn't, the AF is screwed.

Don't forget that that reup will come with its own ADSC. Early eligible found that out the hard way this year. Sign up early you can get renegotiate, but it adds an extra year of service commitment without the extra year of pay. 5 years at $25k = $125k. 5 years at $30k + an extra one year service commitment without extra pay comes out to an amazing $25k per year. They got us good. Dirty pool AF.

Short answer. Not really. FWIW the last two classes of my fiscal year (I was in one) had in my opinion the best heavy drops of the year. Except the RPAs. But that's a sore subject with extenuating circumstances. Luck, timing, hard work and don't suck are the keys to success.

Yes in regards to its the quickest way to show real appreciation and possibly signal real change is coming. It will "buy" some time while the other initiatives are being fixed. Its not QOL/QOS fixes OR a better bonus, but this is how some try to frame the argument. I want big blue to show how valued aviators are and also fix the squadron/ops issues (but this one will take some time to see). But to someone's point earlier, it is very clear they are trying to do the bare minimum to just get over the min retention metric they are trying to hit. Crazy talk to get too many people willing to stay in!!! Cant have that! But with the current environment it actually is crazy to think that we would come close to have pilots wanting to stay in over the min retention level needed. In my squadron, of a lot of guys coming up on the decision (20-30 Majors) , I would say 10-15% are saying they are staying in. I hear some saying maybe a 1 yr bonus concurrent with their PCS ADSC. THAT'S IT. My advice is to everyone to not take the 5-9 yr bonus because (take the 1-2 with the option of a re-up bonus), the AF is going to have to come to the table with more in the next 2-3 yrs bc this is weak and has not even caught up to inflation---- if your wanting/willing to stay in that is! Money is not everything, I agree--but last time I checked pilots aren't jumping ship to make pennies in 3 yrs with the airlines....more to the tune of 150-200k a yr. Money will always be in the equation when people have families to think about. Especially when they have already served their country for 12 years.

Good question, plus I don't know if that video was initial T/O or a touch and go or what the weight was. By comparison, a T-38C with the PMP mod only puts out about 6.6K lbs of thrust in full AB at sea level. (A model is slightly less, about 5.8K lbs). If you've ever tried to do a respectable AB climb in the 38 it takes a long ass time to accelerate, even light weight. Anyway, I'm assuming the T-X is going to have a better thrust to weight, which will be nice. It sure as sh*t won't be worse. T-38 is about .65, and by comparison, the interwebs says the T-50 is .95.

What's more amazing is someone found a way to get something for free on a Ryanair flight.

This! I'm really digging the airline gig and I'm glad I jumped early. However, the above can't be emphasized enough. Right now, if you think you're going to the airlines anyway, the earlier, the better. Being at the front of the wave is a good hedge against any black swan events. In 10 years I might think it's wise to hang on for the pension...time will tell. I was over 10 years away from an AGR retirement so, for me, it was an easy decision to jump. If you're within 5 years, it's a no brainer...the tough spot is the guys between 10 and 15 YOS. Although even if I had been there, I still would have jumped. This year, my total compensation between the two gigs will more than double my O-4 AGR pay (16 yr, w/o dependents) and I'll work about the same. Taxes take a cut of that but I'm still up, plus my rental properties and a good tax man help. Flying with a captain now who was held back in the AF for almost a year. The difference...his buddies were hired into the right seat of the 757 on the A scale and he was hired into second officer on the 727 on the B scale. His buddies have also been WB captains for years while he is still unable to hold WB captain. His (forced) delay has cost him home hundreds of thousands of dollars and untold QOL (wrt to schedules). It's all a crapshoot, goodluck to us all.

There were no court challenges (since they weren't breaking any rules), so the SCOTUS could not do anything. Dems knew they were SOL. Raising a court challenge would have just given the gop a court victory to shield themselves with Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Bro I wouldn't even worry about playing that mental game if I were you. Just enjoy UPT, drink, and chase women.

We talked about it at KCVS, given the state of affairs. I said 500K, after taxes, to stay at Cannon. Per year. 300K after taxes even if you got me to Hurby. I then outlined, based on nominal cost to train a new "pilot" (new CP) to replace me, that offering a bonus bringing pay to 300K a year for IP/EPs would actually save the Air Force money. To my knowledge, no one listened. I'm voting with my feet. Please allow me to illustrate with a slightly modified quote from Braveheart: "You've been so busy squabbling for the scraps from [the Air Force's] table that you've missed your God-given right to something better!"

And each was surrounded by a metric sh1t-ton of archie (AAA to you newbies) which is why Frank Luke was celebrated as a mad hero. Being so flammable and a static target, the Jerries (and Allies) put a ring of lead around each one. Brits never did issue parachutes for their balloonists (something about bonus' and being team players...). USAAF also categorized V-1 kills separately.

To the bar (the squadron bar if able), the strip club, sorority parties, Vegas, out on a boat... While you're at it, buy a motorcycle or sports car you can't really afford, travel wherever you can, make a bunch of questionable choices while staying out of jail. Serious advice. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk